Running Afoul of the Female Tengu
by Hangar 18
Summary: Chapter 3 out of 4 added. A Family Moment, Interrupted. I know, I blow at titles. Warning - a little blood in this one. Rated for language, violence. Review, I command you!
1. Zack Makes a Save

All characters are copyright Tecmo, Ltd. 

I have been reading DOA2 fics for a little while and have noticed something. Nobody likes Zack! Well, since he is my favorite character/fighter in the game, I decided to take it upon myself to even up the score a bit, so to speak. All Zack-haters should leave now, and don't let the door hit you on the way out. :) 

Words in Italics are a person's thoughts. That's right, I can read minds. And now, with html format, the italics actually ARE in italics. Amazing! I should note that Microsoft Word keeps wanting to replace "Zack" with "Sack" for some reason...

Running Afoul of the Female Tengu

Chapter 1 – Zack Makes a Save

__

Damn, wish I'd brought my board, he thought as he stood in the snowy, mountainous area. The fight had been a tough one. No, tough was an understatement, it had been brutal; and deep down Zack knew that luck might have been on his side this time. 

His unconscious (former) opponent lay in the snow. At a crucial moment, Zack had struck with his Overhead Kick. He had expected the old man to land hard in the snow behind him, but when he turned around his opponent was nowhere to be seen. Zack himself almost did not see the drop, but did see his opponent slowly getting to his feet in an area below him. He had leapt down the twenty-five feet and finished off his still-dazed opponent with a Slam Knuckle. 

Before the fight, the old man had said something to him with a serious look in his eye. Unfortunately, Zack did not understand Chinese, and had only shrugged in response. He recognized the old man from the first Dead or Alive Tournament. _What was his name again…? Gen-Fu, that's it_. Presently, he was waiting to make sure the old man was not too seriously injured. Despite the ominous name of the Tournament, Zack was not about to leave the man to die out here if he was hurt.

__

Didn't mean for you to take such a spill, old timer, he grinned,_ but I'll take the win anyway._ Despite his cocky attitude, Zack was not devoid of emotion, and he respected Gen-Fu for being such a powerful fighter for his advanced years. He still thought fondly of the rewards of winning the Tournament, however. "World Combat Champion" would definitely add to his repertoire of pick-up lines. 

He would try to bring Gen-Fu around in a few seconds, but for now he wanted to take some time to enjoy the scenery, even if said scenery was causing him to freeze his butt off. "Guess I should learn to dress for the weather, but how could I fight without my lucky shorts?" he wondered aloud. 

The wind was blowing strongly in his direction. He tried his best to ignore it, but paid more attention when it suddenly began carrying strange sounds to his ears. It was faint, but he thought he could hear… people. _Who else'd be out here? Thought only world-class fighters hung out in places like this_, he thought as he tried to tell where in the world of stone and snow the sound was coming from.

Walking in the direction of the noise, he began too see the other side of the depression he and Gen-Fu had finished in. The sounds, louder now, were coming from above his position and sounded human, he could tell that much. Just when he was wondering how he was going to get out of the giant hole he appeared to be standing in, something caught his attention.

A blue and beige object appeared suddenly in the sky above, before plummeting down into the snow at his level and landing with a sickening thud. It happened so quickly that it took him a moment to realize that the object was in fact a person. _Shit_, he thought, remembering the main reason he was somewhat concerned for Gen-Fu was that the snow down here was not as deep, something he discovered when he had jumped down earlier.

He took a couple steps towards the vague form, which had just begun to stir on the ground, when he heard someone else land in the snow as well. This was a much softer sound, however, and he immediately guessed that whoever it was had jumped down. 

Turning in the direction of the noise, he could make out the second person more clearly, though they were significantly further away from him than the first. It was a young girl with bright purple hair, wearing some sort of odd outfit that was a darker purple. Even though he could well have been in her field of vision, she did not seem to notice him and instead appeared to be staring intently at the first person. It did not take much thought for him to guess what was going on. 

Even from a distance, he could see the hateful glare in her reddish eyes, and somehow he knew that she had not accidentally caused the other's fall. He could also tell that she was not through causing damage, either. 

He turned back to the first individual, who he could see better now as she had risen to her hands and knees. It was another young woman, with brown hair. She had a light blue outfit or uniform on that didn't look like it provided a lot more warmth than Zack's own attire. From the sluggishness with which she moved he could tell she was pretty shaken up by the fall. _This girl looks in a pretty bad way. But, who wouldn't be? That looks like an even bigger drop than the one back there._

He hesitated, unsure of whether to step into this situation or not. _Ah, not really my-_, he was thinking, when he heard her.

The purple-haired girl was now talking to herself, apparently, her glaring eyes becoming more intense. She was doing something strange with her hands, too. Zack gaped in shock as what looked like a bright line or slash appeared in the air by her hands.

She was still staring intently at the other girl, who was wearily trying to stand up; unaware of what was going on behind her. Purple-hair's voice was getting louder. Another bright slash appeared in the air.

Zack had no idea what she was mumbling. Still, he could guess her intent easily from her body language and thought, _this can't be good_. 

He was never exactly sure of what made him do what he did. But, as more slashes of light appeared in the air next to the ranting purple-haired girl, he stopped thinking and started moving. 

He ran as fast as he could right towards the girl in blue, trying his hardest not to focus on the view of her cleavage he was getting. _Can't.. look.. at.._, his thoughts were cut offwhenshe raised her face and looked at him in surprise as he rapidly approached. Her face almost caused him to stumble in mid-stride. Zack threw himself with all his remaining energy at the young woman. 

Even in mid-air he could feel something, some energy or force rushing in their direction. He collided with his target, knocking them both flat to the snowy ground. As he went down, he felt something graze his back, burning him slightly, but he was too out of breath to make a vocal reaction to it. 

Pulling himself up off the ground with one hand exploring the burn on his back, he decided it was ultimately the young woman's beauty that had caused him to rescue her. _Couldn't let such a cutie get hurt, that's all,_ he rationalized. He looked back in the direction of the assailant, to see if she was going fire another… thing at them. The purple-haired girl was much closer now.

__

Uh-oh, was all he had time to think before she kicked him so hard and fast in the chin that he felt like Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 2. He fell onto his back and then felt her booted foot slam into his midsection, driving the wind out of him. She reached down and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulling him up halfway, then backhand slapped him across the face with surprising force while screaming at him in Japanese. He wondered if she could see through his dark sunglasses and had noticed him noticing her equally impressive chest. _Nah, I had these specially tinted to prevent that_, he thought, spitting out blood. 

He managed to block her next swing and shove her off of him, but she deftly hopped into the air and snapped out a kick that caught him in the chest and knocked him onto his back again. _Great, now she gonna kill me instead_, he lamented, _but I'm not just gonna lay back and let it happen_. 

He rose to his feet, blood trickling out from the corner of his mouth. She smiled wickedly, sadistically at him; like a shark circling wounded prey. A derisive laugh was halfway out of her mouth when something slammed into her from behind, causing her to go sprawling forward into the snow.

The other girl stood right behind the spot where his attacker had just been. Before Zack could give her a smile of gratitude, however, she fell down onto one knee. 

The purple-haired girl was getting up, but her focus was momentarily disrupted so Zack took the opportunity to hit her on the top of the head with a Down Elbow. He connected solidly and she landed roughly in the snow on her rearend.

She rolled away and got quickly to her feet, preparing for another attack. "Feisty little thang, ain't you?" he said, hoping to distract her. 

Gen-Fu came in so fast from the side that she barely had time to block his So-Ha strike. Still, the force of it caused her to stumble back several feet. Gen-Fu, though obviously hurt, stood as steadily as he could in a fighting stance directed at the purple-haired girl. Meanwhile, the other young woman got up again and faced her earlier opponent as well, making it three-on-one.

Though the three did not really know each other, they could all tell who had the evil intent here. It must have been the eyes. 

Kasumi: _I cannot allow my sister to continue her killing ways. I wish she would give up living in the darkness_.

Gen-Fu: _There is an... evil radiating from this child_.

Zack: _This is one crazy bitch!_

Seeing the odds were against her, she yelled something in Japanese that Zack was sure would have been inappropriate for a family audience and darted away. He was trying to see where she was going so he would know how to get out of this giant hole when he heard two, almost simultaneous, thumps.

He looked to see Gen-Fu and the girl, whom he recognized now from the first Dead or Alive Tournament also, both on the ground. When he looked up again, the other girl was gone.

__

D'oh, he thought despairingly. He looked towards Gen-Fu, who was lying on his back but leaning up on one elbow. 

"You gonna make it?" he asked, not sure if the older man would even understand him. _One of these days, I have got to learn some languages other than English_.

Gen-Fu merely pointed towards the young woman. "Oh," Zack said as he registered that she was lying facedown in the snow. Zack knelt down and gently rolled her onto her back. She peered up at him groggily.

"Hey, you still breathin'?" he asked, giving her what he thought was an impressive grin. She blinked. 

"Do. You. Speak. English?" he asked in a loud and exaggerated manner. 

"Yes," came her weak reply, "and I will live… for now," she said as she glanced at their surroundings.

"Wait a minute now… I remember you! Your name's… Lei-Fang or somethin' like that, right?"

She made a small smile and managed to say, "Kasumi."

"Oops," he said, standing up. "Don't worry guys, I'll get us out of here before we get turned to a demographically diverse crew of snowpeople." He laughed at his own joke when no one else did. 

He looked to his left and saw rock. He looked to his right and saw more rock. In front of him, rock covered with snow. He turned around and saw the exact same thing, only further away.

"SHIT!" 


	2. Think Happy Thoughts

All characters copyright Tecmo, Ltd. Suing me would only add to the massive glut of lawsuits currently clogging courtrooms across this country, the good old USofA! I'm only writing this because, for some bizarre reason, it's fun.

Running Afoul of the Female Tengu

Chapter 2 - Think Happy Thoughts

"Good thing we found that cave, huh," said Zack. Gen-Fu only looked at him blankly. "Oh, right, you no comprende," Zack remembered, again vowing to learn how to speak something _other_ than English. The two of them were standing outside of a small house in the village of Zhaotong, which was Gen-Fu's home. 

Back in the mountains, he had thought them trapped, but luckily, they had discovered a cave that led out to lower ground. It was probably the same way that the other girl had used. Gen-Fu had gotten their bearings, and led them back to what Zack assumed was the older man's village, since all the people seemed to know him. The whole way, he had kept looking over his shoulder, checking to see if the purple-haired demoness was following them, or about to attack again. They had made it here without any problems, though Kasumi had only been able to walk about half of the way.

The people of this village had eyed Zack curiously, maybe a bit suspiciously at first. However, Gen-Fu had talked to them and now they regarded him in a friendlier manner. _Some of the women here aren't bad looking… not at all,_ he mused to himself as a young woman stepped past them. 

He flashed her a grin when she looked in his direction. Her face flushed and she smiled nervously before looking away. _Must be my exotic good looks_, he thought. He felt an elbow jab him firmly in his ribs, and turned to see Gen-Fu narrowing his eyes at him. 

"What?" he responded, shrugging his shoulders with an innocent expression on his face. The older man just looked away, shaking his head slightly. Zack sighed and propped his elbows against the front wall of the house, leaning back on them. 

Kasumi was inside, presumably having her injuries checked out, as he had seen an older woman go in after them. _Hope she ain't busted up too bad_, he thought, _but now how the hell am I gettin' back-,_ just then the older woman stepped out through the entrance to the one-room structure. She spoke to Gen-Fu in Chinese, glancing at Zack briefly, but he did not detect any bad news in her tone. Her voice took on a more concerned tone, however, as she began questioning Gen-Fu. It seemed like he was trying to brush her off, but then he winced when she touched a spot on his arm. Zack had to stifle a laugh when she started to almost literally drag Gen-Fu off in another direction.

__

Must be the old ball-and chain, he thought, amused, letting out a low laugh. _Guess I might as well check on the patient_. 

He entered the small building and saw Kasumi lying on the flat wooden table he had helped her onto a little while ago. Her head was resting on a small bundle of cloth. She propped herself up slightly as he pulled one of the two rickety chairs over next to the table. 

"Don't get up on account of me," he said, sitting down. She lay back again and he asked, "so, what's the prognosis?" He noticed a confused look in her eyes as she glanced over at him. "I mean, how badly are you hurt?" he asked again, rephrasing the question.

"Oh, I'll be fine again in a day or two, I just have to rest for a good bit of that time," she replied. "By the way," she said, turning her head to look at him, "thank you for saving my life, and for carrying me on the way to this village."

"Ah, no problem," he said, turning his face away from her sincere eyes. _Damn, can't look at them puppy-dog eyes, what's up with that? _He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So, uh, you know that psycho-witch that was tryin' to kill you, or what?"

She sighed. "Yes, that was… my sister, Ayane," she said heavily.

"Say what?!" Zack blurted, looking back at her. "Your own sister was tryin' to kill you?" He noticed the sad look in her eyes at his words. "Oh, geez… I'm sorry," he apologized, "but… why?" 

"I'm not sure," she said sadly, "I just know that she has become so… so cold and dark. I worry about her often, about what she is doing. I wish that… I wish she would just realize that I care about her, and…" she broke off, her eyes moistening.

__

Aww, man, please don't start with the waterworks, he thought. Tentatively, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, like, people can change an all, so maybe… she'll reconsider, or somethin'," he offered. _LAME_, he mentally shouted at himself. She gave him a brief smile, before gazing back at the ceiling again. He quickly removed his hand.

"Yes, I suppose there is hope, even for Ayane" she said.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A few hours later, dusk was approaching. Zack was sitting out near the edge of the village, his legs hanging over the edge of a short drop. Gen-Fu's wife had offered him some food, but he had declined, politely he hoped, upon catching a good whiff of the food in question. Still, he was thinking of choking it down anyway, as hungry as he was.

__

Man, I'm hungry. Hungry and sore, he thought. _Not only that, I ain't got a clue where the town I left my ride back to Hong Kong at is from here, and I can't even ask anybody_. _Ah, well, gotta try an' think happy thoughts_. 

Uttering a low moan at his plight and his battered body, he stretched the joints in his shoulders, then rubbed his jaw where Ayane had struck him, twice. _Little girl packs a punch_. Thinking of Ayane, then, he suddenly worried if he should be closer to Kasumi's resting place, in case her sister came back to finish her off. _I bet that sneaky little girl could have followed us… damn, what the hell am I doin' out here!_

Suddenly, he heard a footstep not far behind him. He whirled around; ready to spring to his feet, but doubting whether or not he could move fast enough, when he saw whom it was. 

"You're worried that Ayane might come after me here," Kasumi said, "I am too, because there are too many people here that could get hurt if she attacks."

"Hey, your sis' might be kinda short, but I'm not shy about sayin' that I'd rather not go up against her again," he said, adding with a grin, "but then, at least that's one thing you and her have in common." 

"What, that you would not want to battle us," she said, sitting down a couple of feet away from him.

"No, that you're short," he replied. "Oww!" he yelled as she slapped his arm and she laughed a bit. "Say, I thought you were supposed to be resting?"

"Oh, I can get up and move around some, just no fighting" she said. "You know, I was talking with Gen-Fu and his wife, Fuhai, before when they came in to check on me. She mentioned that you did not seem to be interested in what she was preparing for dinner."

"Well, the smell of… whatever it was… sort of turned me off, if you know what I mean," he said, wrinkling his nose at the memory. "And it didn't look too kosher, either."

"But, you should try the food anyway. She might get offended if you don't. Trust me, I think you will enjoy it," she said with a hopeful smile.

"Weeelllll… alright," he agreed, reluctantly. "But if it kills me, I'm holding you responsible."

"Good, Fuhai will be happy you are eating with them, after Gen-Fu told her how you helped him, and myself." 

"Yeah, next thing I'll be made a saint or something, all this 'helping' I've been doin' lately."

"Gen-Fu also introduced me to his granddaughter, Leshan. She's a sweet child, but unfortunately, he also told me that she is dying from a rare disease. That's why he was participating in the Tournament, to win the money with which to get her cured. Poor child." She lowered her eyes.

Zack suddenly felt sick to his stomach. _Jesus, maybe that's what he tellin' me before we fought, but how was I supposed to know? Damn_.

She noticed his downcast expression. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, uh, nothin', jus' sad hearing about that poor kid and all," he responded.

"Oh, well did you know that she saw you earlier when you entered the village and seemed quite fascinated with you when I talked to her?" 

He chuckled. "Guess I would look kinda freaky to anyone from around here, even without the hair, huh?" He patted his dyed Mohawk.

She laughed again and said, "I bet she would be excited to talk to you when she has dinner with her grandparents. Come on," she started to stand up, "the meal should be almost ready by now."

"Okay, I'm comin', but I hope my insurance covers this," he said, getting another laugh from Kasumi. He got up slowly. _Great, now I get to have a meal with the kid I just killed,_ he thought sadly. 

End Chapter 2

Hopefully, using html format in Word will cause the story to look right when I post it. Anyway, I'm glad some people took the time to review my first chapter. Thank you, Ryu, Auron, and satsui no hadu kairi for your encouragement. Ryu, now that you mention it, Zack does bear a disturbing resemblance to Dennis Rodman (ugh). Special thanks to kochan for helpful suggestions on improving and tweaking chapter one, I guess you deserve a partial author-credit for the story now! Unfortunately for DOA2 Kasumi, I'm afraid that I have not planned any odd-couple pairing for THIS story. As for stories I may write in the future, that's another matter. :) As for Kas&Ayane-fan, uh, thanks for that announcement, I'm sure everybody's happy for you.

Oh, and I apologize to Ryu for being late updating, AND for only getting done chapter 2. Sorry, I am just one lazy author.


	3. A Family Moment, Interrupted

All characters copyright Tecmo, Ltd. They can even have all the extras I've thrown in. Why did I write this? Not for money, but for the love, man, the love. Or maybe I just felt like it.

I'd also like to give a special thank you to Goode's World Atlas, since I'm such a detail freak and had to even figure out how Zacky-boy would get back to civilization. And for providing names of extras. :)

Running Afoul of the Female Tengu

Chapter 3 - A Family Moment, Interrupted 

Though he went in with doubts as to whether he would enjoy it, it turned out to be quite satisfying. Unable to communicate directly, he thought of how he could show her his pleasure and appreciation. He would have felt bad leaving without at least thank you for her sating his hunger, even if, in the past, he had not always been so courteous in the aftermath. He also owed her for giving him an experience of something new and different than what he had been accustomed to. She peered over at him, expectantly, nervously. Zack made up his mind on how to show his appreciation.

"Mmmm-mmm!" he smiled and rubbed his stomach for effect, indicating that he had liked the food. Fuhai nodded and smiled before turning back to her own food and chatting with her husband, Gen-Fu.

"I told you, you would like it," said Kasumi, "this is-"

"Please!" Zack interrupted her, drawing stares, "I really don't need to know what I just ate, and… not sure I want to." He was afraid that if she told him exactly what it was he had just scarfed down, it might make a reverse trip and end up all over the table. "Let's just say I liked it, and leave it at that." He gave Kasumi a nervous smile.

She shrugged. "Okay." Zack looked across at the little girl, Gen-Fu's granddaughter. Kasumi had told him that her name was Leshan. He still felt guilt in the back of his mind about her condition, and having defeated Gen-Fu, but there was nothing really he could do. She was looking at him curiously, then she giggled and pointed at him when she saw he was looking back.

"What?" he said, incredulously. She said something in return that he couldn't understand, so he looked to Kasumi for a translation. 

"Well, she is wondering if you were born with hair like that," Kasumi said, stifling her own laughter at the observation.

"Tell her its style, not genetic," he said with a grin. She turned and spoke something in Chinese to the girl, then they both laughed. Zack rolled his eyes behind his dark glasses. _Probably makin' fun of me, takin' advantage of my not knowing what they're sayin'. No fair_, he thought, and sighed. _Oh well, not my fault if they don't know hip_.

"So, listen, Kasumi, I was wonderin', since I'm like, kinda lost and the guy who was gonna take me back to Hong Kong will have left by now… you think you could ask around and see if anybody's offerin' rides goin' that way," he said, attempting to explain his situation to her. 

Kasumi blinked before replying, "well, there is a railroad that runs near here, I believe, and it crosses the Hongshui River, which will take you very close to Hong Kong."

"Oh," he said, feeling foolish, "thanks, you must be like a walkin' Atlas or something." 

"Oh, I don't know all places perfectly," she replied. Kasumi then began speaking to Gen-Fu and Fuhai, leaving Zack to think to himself. He had finished his food quickly, everyone else still had some left, so he just stared off into space. _Hope the money I got with me'll be enough,_ he thought before noticing Leshan staring at him curiously again.

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What's up?" he said, without much enthusiasm. He got another question from her, and noticed that the others around the table looked up when she asked it. 

"What?" he turned again to Kasumi for a translation.

"She would like to know why you wear dark eyeglasses, even at dusk," said Kasumi. The little girl added more. "And, if you…" she paused tried to hold back laughter. He noticed the others grinning widely at him, and felt a little embarrassed. Kasumi continued, "if you have no eyes." She let out a burst of giggles.

Zack shook his head and sighed, but chuckled a bit himself. _At least the kid's got a sense of humor, _he thought. "Tell her of course I got eyes," he replied.

"But," Kasumi, "what about your reason for wearing those sunglasses all the time? It does look a little silly." She snorted a quick laugh, thought it was not derisive. 

"I got my reasons," was all he said, before crossing his arms defensively. He accidentally knocked something off of the table in the process. Kasumi nodded and started to tell the girl, and the grandparents, his answer. 

He bent down to retrieve the object, and just as he did so, he heard Kasumi yell something in Chinese. He could also hear sudden movement, a cry of pain, and the sounds of metal embedding itself in wood. Sitting up quickly, he saw a many-pointed, sharp object stuck in the table right in front of where he was sitting. It took him a moment to realize it was a shuriken, and that if he had not bent down a second ago, it would have embedded itself into the back of his neck or head instead of the table.

"What the f-" he said, looking around. First, he noticed Gen-Fu with a pained expression on his face, holding his arm up near the shoulder. Kasumi, Fuhai, and Leshan were not immediately visible. Zack stood up and whirled around, looking for that attacker whose identity he had already begun to guess. As he did so, he was grabbed by the ankle and pulled down under the table by someone's hand. He saw that it was Kasumi, and looked at her questioningly.

"It's my sister, Ayane," she whispered fiercely. Fuhai and Leshan were also huddled under the table. "I managed to pull them to safety, but I could not reach Gen-Fu."

"I think he's hit," Zack said, a little nervousness showing in his voice. 

"Get him, under here, quickly, I will try to deal with Ayane."

"Okay- hey wait a minute…," he said, but she was already moving. _Damn_, he thought. He reached over and managed to get Gen-Fu under the cover of the table. He could hear Kasumi calling out in the background, and heard her use her sister's name. There were also the sounds of people running into their houses.

Gen-Fu groaned with pain as Zack looked at his injury. A shuriken was deeply embedded high on his right arm, and the sleeve of his shirt was turning a dark crimson. Fuhai cried out as she saw the injury, and Leshan appeared to be in shock. "Stay here," Zack said before moving to get out from under the table and see if he could help Kasumi. Gen-Fu grabbed him by the arm, stopping him, and pointed to the shuriken, saying something fiercely in Chinese.

Zack could hear a sound like steel clashing somewhere nearby, and assumed it was Kasumi dueling with her sister since Kasumi had been carrying a blade. He also somehow understood that the older man was asking him to remove the shuriken, something he was not keen on doing. Knowing there was not much time, though, he quickly seized the edge and pulled it out, causing some blood to fly. Fuhai turned her head and covered her granddaughter's eyes from the sight. For a moment, Zack thought that he would lose his meal himself.

"I'm gonna see if the coast is clear," he said. He got up from under the table and looked around cautiously. Neither Kasumi nor Ayane were immediately in view, but he could hear them nearby. He motioned for the family to get up from under the table. "Looks clear, but I'd get inside quick, and get that taken care of," he said, indicating Gen-Fu's wound.

The three of them hurried off to a nearby house, Gen-Fu holding his wound yet still hovering protectively over his wife and granddaughter. Zack tried following the last sounds of the battle he had heard, dashing around a building, but stopping at the corner and peering around it. _Man, I sure hope Kasumi can handle herself, 'cause I ain't wantin' another go-round with-_

His thoughts froze when he looked around the corner and saw the two combatants. Neither of them had their swords in hand, both their blades were on the ground a good distance away. They were each moving to retrieve their respective weapons; but while Ayane was moving rapidly towards hers, Kasumi was limping after her own, holding her leg from her previous injury in the mountains. Ayane was moving in Zack's direction, while Kasumi was hobbling away from his position. 

It was obvious that Ayane would reach hers first, so Zack decided to dash out in front of her. She seemed surprised to see him, but recovered quickly enough, launching a fist at his face that he narrowly avoided. He figured he had to keep her away from the sword, but knew it would be difficult, given her speed. 

She sent a series of kicks at him, forcing him onto the defensive, then quickly lunging for the blade in his distraction. He managed to snag one of the ends of her headband that flapped out, and pulled her back and away from the weapon, stepping between her and the blade. She scowled at him, and he answered by flipping her off. Apparently, she understood the gesture well enough and growled in return. He glanced behind her and saw that Kasumi had gotten her sword back, and was heading back their way, steadying herself as best as she could.

Ayane noticed this as well, and backed up so that she could face both of them as Kasumi came up beside Zack. Kasumi began saying something to her sister, and the assassin appeared to be listening. _Well, maybe she's givin' up_, thought Zack, noticing too late that Ayane's hand was pulling something out of her boot.

She threw a small object onto the ground between them that exploded into a cloud of gas upon impact. Zack and Kasumi had no time to get away, and both inhaled the gas, before beginning to violently cough from its effects. Ayane leapt up and spun, swinging both legs out and kicking both of them in the side of the head. They each fell to their knees from the combined effect of the gas and the assault as Ayane went to retrieve her sword. 

Before she could pick it up, she heard a loud shout and turned in time to see the little girl, Leshan, running at her. Instinctively, she lashed out with a sharp kick that caught the child in the chest and knocked her back through the air before she sprawled on the ground several feet away. 

"Hey!" Zack yelled, coughing between words, "leave the kid alone!" Ayane turned on him angrily. He only stared back defiantly, his anger taking away his earlier fear. She looked towards the little girl, who was not moving, and seemed to realize what she had just done. A strange combination of anger, confusion, and regret passed over Ayane's features, and she yelled something out, the same expletive she had used in the mountains, only this time her voice seemed to quiver a bit. 

Zack tried to get up, but stumbled and went back down on one knee. To his surprise, however, she quickly turned and fled into the deepening shadows of the hills surrounding the village. 

He heard another cry and saw Fuhai and Gen-Fu arriving on the scene, the latter with a cloth tied around the wound on his arm. They went quickly to their grandchild, and Zack turned to Kasumi. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yes," she replied, gritting her teeth, "I will be fine, see if Leshan is okay." Kasumi was sitting down and clutching her wounded leg, but her face seemed to contain sorrow as well as pain.

Zack managed to stand and walked over towards the others, hoping the little girl would be alright. The concerned grandparents were fussing over the little girl, but she was sitting up and seemed to be relatively uninjured. Her grandmother was checking her ribs, though, just to be sure.

He turned his head to the darkening sky._ Thank you, Lord. This makes up for that time You couldn't make Tina Armstrong drop out of the sky and into my bed. _

End Chapter 3

Hmm, wasn't that first paragraph a bit… ambiguous? Mwahahaha! Sorry if I frightened anyone.

Well, I thought Chapter 3 would be the last chapter of this brouhaha, but there's still one more to go. Thanks to all the people that have reviewed and commented. Sorry I am so slow in making progress with this story. I must be like the king of procrastination. 

Is Ayane done harassing poor Zack and Kasumi? Of course not. Sorry if you think I'm making Ayane look like a b*tch, AngelWingStarX. I never really liked her, but I think that by the end she will not seem the same way, really. I'm going to give her a solo scene in the next chapter. Also, I know she doesn't have any gas-bombs in the game, but she's supposed to be an assassin so I took some liberties. Actually, this whole story is me taking liberties. Chapter 4 will also feature an appearance by another character from the game, and in the interest of creating suspense (oooh), I'm… not… telling who it is.

Zack and Ayane will also sing "I'm Real" by Ja Rule with Jennifer Lopez, with of course Ayane as Jennifer and Zack as Ja. Heh, now THAT would be funny! Zack:_"What's my motherf*ckin' name?" Ayane: "Z-A-C-K"_ Sorry, had to throw that in, even if no one else knows the song.

My story is on someone's favorites list?! YES!!

satsui - R. Kelly _wishes_ he was down like Zack! :) 

Review me! Please?


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